Brains and brawn, El Camino Real Charter High School has them in spades. This squad of academic titans just clinched the coveted California Academic Decathlon championship, ergo, they're off to the Big Dance – the USAD National Competition, that is. The brains of Woodland Hills proved they're among the state's finest a third time in the past five years, and now it's time for them to play for the national title.

The Santa Clara Marriott played host to the state showdown from March 22-24, with these student scholars showing off their impressive intellects. But make no mistake, it's more than just a win for El Camino Real Charter – it's a win for California. They're gearing up to defend an unprecedented 20-year national championship winning streak in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania come April 25-27, according to CBS News Los Angeles and Daily News.

But ECR isn't the only school packing their bags for Pittsburgh. Joining them is the Sherman Oaks Center for Enriched Studies, representing large schools in an on-the-ground face-off. Meanwhile, Granada Hills Charter High School – who's already snatched the national title a jaw-dropping nine times – is also advancing, this time taking on competitors in the online version of the USAD National Competition, as reported by Daily News.

Amid all these triumphs, it's worth revisiting the purpose behind this cerebral combat. “The academic decathlon helps students become life-long learners and gain key critical thinking skills,” George Wong, one of the California Academic Decathlon’s founding members, told Daily News.